You Were My Greatest Adventure
by WildflowerWeasley
Summary: Severus Snape takes a walk down memory lane.


**A/N: **Written in response to a prompt by The Fairest Of The Rare in the BTSS2019 collection.

**Prompt:**

Ellie & Carl Fredricksen — Up

Thank you so much to FirewhiskySoul and IKEAwhatyoudidthere for alpha and betaing this story, I would have thrown in the towel without them.

**TRIGGER WARNING**  
Minor mentions of child abuse, but no graphic depictions.

* * *

_November 2105_

Severus Snape stood beside the simple headstone, a worn and wrinkled hand moving over the name of his beloved. His children and four generations of grandchildren surrounded him as he said goodbye to the woman he had loved for most of his life.

Lily had been his rock, he safe place, his everything for as long as he could remember. She had been an amazing mum and an incredible Nanna, as was proven by the love surrounding him. She had filled countless lives with her joy and light, and she would be sorely missed.

Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, Severus dabbed the tears from his eyes and patted the cold stone once more before he stepped back and arranged a small bundle of balloons beside it. He smiled as they began to sway in the breeze; the setting sun cast a kaleidoscope of colour across her final resting place.

"Come along Granddad, it's time you got some rest."

Brought out of his reverie, Severus turned his attention to his great-grandson and accepted his offered arm, allowing him to help him across the large garden and back into the house.

Hours later, after his family had gone on to their own homes or retired to the many guest bedrooms, Severus lay in his own bed. He had tried falling asleep to no avail, the now half-empty bed felt cold and was much too quiet without the soft sound of Lily's breathing beside him.

He groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position, his joints protesting at the movement. Reaching for his wand on his bedside table, he cleared his throat and whispered, "Accio."

The sound of rustling came from beneath the bed and soon the object he had summoned was in his hands. Severus took a shaky breath as his fingers gently ran over the cover of the book, their book. He hadn't opened it in many years and as he did so now, he couldn't help the smile that spread wide across his weathered face.

A small chuckle escaped him as he gazed into the 9-year-old faces of himself and his best friend. He remembered the day they met like it was yesterday, could still hear the soft crying from the other side of their tree after Petunia's hateful words.

_"You're a freak, Lily! Do you hear me? Mum and Dad may not see it but I do, you're nothing but a disgusting freak!"_

His heart had clenched at the sight of the red-haired girl sitting before him with her knees pulled to her chest and her face hidden. Memories of the many times he had been the target of words that cut like knives came to mind and he had decided to approach her, to offer words of kindness. He remembered stepping around the trunk of the tree only to stop short, stunned to see thousands of tiny flowers floating around her. Unbidden, a smile had formed on his lips and he knew that this girl was special, that she was like him.

_"I don't think you're a freak."_

They had become fast friends after that, escaping into each other's company when the people who should have loved them instead caused them pain.

Severus scanned the page and lightly touched the edges of their very first Hogwarts letters. Lily had been captivated by their magic, finally understanding what was happening to her and being accepted for the first time in her life. He had told her all about Hogwarts and together they dreamt of what it would be like when they finally got to go. Hogwarts - she had dubbed it as their First Adventure.

He turned the page, taking in the deflated pink balloon with a grin. Beside it lay a picture of an eleven-year-old Lily, her brilliant smile lighting up the colourful room where hundreds of balloons floated around her. He traced the script below it, _"Celebration Day, 1971"._

It had become a tradition, the balloons. Every year on the first of September, Severus snuck over to the Evans home and climbed the tree outside her window to float balloons into her room. She woke each morning to a rainbow of colours and a smile on her face, just as he had wanted.

The next page contained ticket stubs for the bus and many pictures of the two of them in Diagon Alley. It had been the best summer he'd ever had up to that point in his life. The morning of their impromptu trip Lily had found him sitting in the shade of their tree. He remembered running there as soon as he felt it was safe and stayed there all night. His father had been in rare form the night before and the evidence of his father's anger had then been spread over his body. He could still feel the shame and sadness that filled him when Lily had taken his face in her hands.

_"Sev, who… Who did this to you?"_

The sadness in her voice had broken him and like a dam had overflowed, he released all of the things he had kept locked deep inside of him.

_"My dad… Why don't they love me, Lily? I wasn't being bad… I was just there. He gets so angry and mum doesn't even try to help me. What did I do?"_

_"Nothing, Sev," she said as she pulled back; he could hear the anger behind the softly spoken words. Placing her hands on his face, her emerald eyes bore into his own. "You did nothing wrong. I'm so sorry this happened to you, but you have me now. **I'll** be your family."_

Severus released a sigh as the memories of their life ran through his mind. She had certainly kept her promise.

He continued to flip through the pages, stopping to reminisce when something caught his eye. He paused on a page filled with pictures of the ocean, a little cottage by the sea.

_"Let's run away Sev. We could go somewhere warm… maybe a cottage near a beach. Promise me that someday we'll run away together. Promise me we'll get away from here."_

They hadn't made it to their cottage by the sea, but he had kept his promise. They had left the place that had reminded them of nothing but cruelty and made a new life for themselves.

He soon came to a picture that caused a bark of laughter to escape him. A fifteen-year-old Severus stood beside Lily, a look of obvious longing on his face. He watched as she turned to look up at his younger self with a bright grin before pointing at the camera he hadn't noticed at first. He was lost for her.

It had been another two years of awkward moments and fumbled words before he had finally plucked up the courage to tell her he was in love with her. Now, looking at their adventure book, the feelings they shared were obvious. The pressed flowers that he gave her after a particularly bad row with Petunia, the saved cinema stubs, and notes they passed during classes… it was all there.

"Merlin, Lily… I miss you, sweetheart."

He made to close the book when a few pages slipped back out of his grasp to reveal one he hadn't seen before. He hadn't realized she'd kept adding things to the book after their graduation, but there it was.

He flipped past pictures of their wedding day. There were preserved leaves from their tree and pictures of Lily sitting beneath it with a book on their new property. Lily had insisted that they transplant the tree from the park when the city had decided to demolish the whole thing and make a factory.

There were pictures of her, glowing and round with their children. Hospital bracelets and little footprints pressed onto pages along with pictures of each of their children. On and on it went, little mementoes of their life together filled the pages, until the last page where a picture of the couple dominated the centre.

Severus was sat in his favourite chair, his petite wife perched on his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. He watched as she threw her head back with a joyous laugh, the now white hair that had fallen from her bun swept across her face as she leaned forward to kiss his cheek. He smiled as he watched himself tuck the hair behind her ear. That had been a month ago.

Down at the bottom of the page, like many others, was Lily's looped handwriting.

"Thanks for the adventure, my love."

Closing the book, he placed it beside him on the bed and laid back down. Within minutes, he had drifted off to thoughts of emerald eyes and fiery red hair.

* * *

When Severus opened his eyes once more, he was astounded to find himself not in his bed, but outside. The setting sun cast an orange glow over the garden and a light breeze blew around him.

Taking a step forward he realized that his usual joint pain was absent and he stopped short. He felt good. Holding his hands out before him, a surprised gasp escaped him. The marked, weathered skin and arthritic bones he had become accustomed to were now smooth and strong. He looked on in wonder as he flexed his hands and lifted his knees one at a time, testing their sturdiness.

Severus threw his head back, a joyous laugh filling the air. Feeling a sudden burst of energy, he took off in a run toward the old oak tree in the distance. He let the feeling of burning muscles and wind in his face wash over him. He hadn't felt this exhilarated in years! Closer and closer he got, and with his destination becoming clearer, he realized he was not alone in his dream.

Dark eyes squinted and his hand went to his brow in an attempt to shield them from the sunlight when they caught on a tiny object to his left. Slowly, hundreds of tiny white and yellow daisies surrounded him and he turned in a circle taking the familiar magic in.

Turning full circle, he felt tears sting his eyes and quickly cleared them away to focus on the figure in the distance.

"Lily?" he whispered brokenly, afraid to hope.

As if they had a mind of their own, his legs were moving and before he realized it he was running again.

"Lily!"

She turned then and smiled warmly, "Hello, my love."

Stunned, Severus slowed and his steps were cautious as he neared her.

"Is it really you?"

Her tinkling laugh echoed around them and she closed the distance between them to wrap her arms around his waist. Severus pulled her into his chest and leaned down to bury his nose in her hair.

She was _there_, warm and real.

"Sev," she spoke softly, resting her chin on his chest as she looked up into his eyes. "It's time to go darling."

His brows creased as he looked into her face, young and full of light once more. "Go where?"

"On, of course. To our next great adventure."

Severus leaned down, his forehead touching hers and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of holding her in his arms. "Lily, you were always my greatest adventure."

She giggled then and took his hand as she pulled away from him. "Come on then, you old sap!" She beamed and pulled him forward.

Severus happily followed her toward their tree and as they passed the grey headstone adorned with their names, he plucked the bundle of brightly coloured balloons from their place beside it.

Dropping a kiss to her crown, he presented his gift to her and together they walked hand in hand into the sunset.


End file.
